1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to portable and foldable toilet seat assemblies and, more particularly, to such a hygienic, sanitary and transportable/foldable toilet seat which is universally adaptable to existing toilet bowls and conventional toilet seats according to most makes or models and which provides the combined features of a sure, non-sliding grip when placed in position upon a standard toilet bowl/seat assembly, as well as preventing the possibility of pinching or harming the user while in use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Toilets and toilet bowl assemblies are very well known in the art. The typical toilet bowl assembly includes a porcelain toilet bowl with a flushing trigger attached to an interconnected and upwardly extending water storage and flow unit. Depressing the trigger causes a held volume of the fluid contained within the storage unit to flow through the bowl and to discharge its contents through the sewage outline to which it is interconnected. The upwardly extending unit then refills to a selected level, at which point a mechanical switch closes a valve located in an inflow water line to the unit. Finally, the bowl assembly her includes a hingedly connected and conventional seat assembly which is typically of a generally horseshoe shape configuration.
A constant problem with conventional toilet bowl and toilet seat assemblies is the desire to maintain, to the greatest extend possible, hygienic and sanitary conditions. This is particularly of concern in situations where the toilet is located in a public facility and is likely to be used by a number of different individuals. One attempt in the background art has been to utilize the pull-out toilet covering sheet or paper which is mounted, in a package of many such sheets, to a dispenser, the dispenser typically being adhered to a wall surface behind the toilet. The purpose of the tissue covering is that the user applies it as a covering over the existing and upwardly facing toilet seat surface. Problems with such a sheet or tissue dispenser include the relative flimsiness of the paper covering, causing it to easily tear or become uncovered from the top surface of the toilet seat, combined with the fact that the thin layer of fragile covering material provides, at best, only a very marginal degree of hygienic protection.
A further example of a foldable toilet seat arrangement is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,223, issued to Greenwood. The Greenwood references teaches a foldable portable toilet seat providing front and rear sections which are pivotably connected by hinges. The lower surface of each front section includes a downwardly extending flange for engaging a conventional toilet seat to prevent slipping or movement. The flange of each front section further interfits within a hollow raised portion of the corresponding rear section when the sections are folded for transport or storage. A further observation is that the device illustrated in Greenwood collapses into a quarter-sized folded position. A central opening defined by the employed Greenwood device is also very small in dimension, concurrent with its primary teaching of the provision of a toilet training device for infants. Hinge means are provided for interconnecting the quarter sections defining the seat construction, however it is evident that some danger to the user could still be evident in the form of pinching the skin during use of the device.
Referring further to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,802,624 and 5,542,131, both issued to Brantman, additional examples are illustrated of sectional toilet seat assemblies, each including a lower seat member which supports an upper seat member having a removable section. The removable section constitutes less than a majority of the seating surface of the upper seat member and a method associated with the invention discloses the ability to transfer a person onto the remaining upper seat member and replacing the removed upper seat section while the person is supported by the remaining upper seat member.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,514, issued to Erli, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,355, issued to Landman, each teach additional variations of portable toilet seats which include a plurality of coplanar and slidably adjustable/collapsible arcuate seat portions and which permit each to be collapsed to a smaller size. The problem with both Erli and Landman resides in the fact that the fair degree of sophistication and mechanical interface which is required to extend and collapse the coplanar and arcuate seat portions is more prone to breakage and, furthermore, such devices tend to provide fertile breeding grounds for germs and bacteria. Accordingly, the prior art has, heretofore, failed to produce a simplified, convenient and effective approach to providing an easily portable, foldable and hygienic seat which is capable of being used by an individual and which provides a greater degree of safety and ease of use and cleaning.